Blast into the Future
by Shaedowe
Summary: weelll, just check it out. It's a secret. AND there are pairings... Also, it's AU. That's all im's telling you guys. And to check it out. And to review. And to... oh, whatever. I suck at summaries...
1. New

Shaedowe: Oh, hi! This is my first fanfic about the Animorphs... and my WG will do the honours... Myishi, please...  
  
Myishi: *Crosses arms and sniffs* Why should I? I don't owe YOU anything!  
  
Shaedowe: T_T0  
  
Anyway, this is the disclaimer... I DO NOT OWN ANIMORPHS OR WHATEVER! Get this? Ok, and if you don't, so sue me! *evil cackles* Ok, let's get on with the story then!  
  
PS, this might get confusing, but its not the past. It's after the war and its whole new people... and new personalities... so just read on and it'll get less confusing... sorry if there's any mix up! Email me if you've got any questions... and remember to review!  
  
PS. ~ Insert name ~ means that the words below are 'Insert name' 's thoughts. Get it?  
  
Ok, then, go on!  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
~RACHEL~  
  
"Hey, Rachel, wait up! Rachel! Rach!"  
  
Someone was calling out for me. Again. Didn't she ever give up?  
  
"Rach!" She panted. "Thank goodness I've FINALLY caught you! Listen, there's this party at Laura's house and I know you've been invited and how 'bout we go together? I've an escort, actually my elder brother, but who cares anyway... So, anyway, he'll to take me there, seeing as he's going to the party as well and—"  
  
Wasn't she listening? She ought to have got a clue by now.  
  
I had been getting invitations to the In Crowd's parties for over a month, ever since I had moved here to this sorry excuse for a town... But I was intent on not liking the In Crowd. They didn't make it very difficult for me to hate them either.  
  
"Sasha, I'm not going."  
  
I never had been going.  
  
Why did she even want to go anyway? They only invited her in the hopes that I would go with her.  
  
See, the reason is that they don't want unpopular geeks and nerds like Sasha there.  
  
That's why only about all the jocks and cheerleaders and no geeks turn up. They want the popular people. Sasha was stupid to believe that they wanted her in the In Crowd.  
  
Only I don't know why they even invited me, cause I'm not popular, and I don't want to be.  
  
"Why not? There must be a reason Rachel. Everyone wants to go. How can you not want to?"  
  
Reason: I hate the In Crowd! Get it, Dummy?  
  
That was what I wanted to shout to Sasha. Stupid, simpering Sasha.  
  
They all start with the same lines.  
  
What a coincidence. Not.  
  
"They don't want you there anyway." I muttered to her.  
  
"I know that, but I still want to go! Maybe they'll accept me then..." She was desperate. And hurt by my remarks. But I wouldn't care if the whole world hated me anyway. So if the little wannabe wanted to hate me, that was one less person to care about. I didn't have to purposely make her hate me then.  
  
One step closer to my goal.  
  
"Rach," She was so persistent. "You can get loads of dates if only you say yes! Just today 5 of the most popular guys asked you out! And you had to say no! No one would say yes even if I made the first move! If you don't go, I won't go either! They'll laugh at me! If you don't want to feel guilty..."  
  
"Suit yourself." I ignored her, shoved my hands deeply into the pockets of my faded blue jeans and shuffled home. Leaving Sasha standing there looking like the fool that she was.  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
~JAKE~  
  
She had gone looking all excited, but returned with her face all turned to the floor... Poor Sasha. But she WAS a wannabe. So who could blame the poor girl that my little sister was intent on pestering?  
  
"So, how'd it go? She say yes?" I questioned her, even though I'd known the answer long ago.  
  
She looked at me with hurt eyes, her face downcast. It was enough to soften a hard-hearted person's heart.  
  
It didn't soften me though.  
  
So I guess I'm not hard-hearted. Heh heh.  
  
"No, Rachel said she didn't want to go."  
  
"Didn't want to go with YOU, you mean. No one never wants to go to the In Crowd party. They just don't wanna go with the 'Unsocialites'."  
  
"No, she said she didn't want to go. She is more like an Unsocialite than I am... she's like this tough girl, so cold and couldn't-care-less." Sasha murmured, her voice as low as her self-esteem.  
  
I was confused. Who was this Rachel? She was invited, so either she was a relative or one of the Beautiful People... Who didn't want to go to the In Crowd's party?  
  
"So her name's Rachel, huh?"  
  
I'd have to go and check her out personally.  
  
Later though. Right now there was screaming and crying in the playing grounds.  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
~TOBIAS~  
  
The little kid was crouched next to the swings. Hurt and injured. Still denying the tears that were threatening to spill out from his eyes. And Big Pig was still hitting him. Non-stop, his fist was bleeding.  
  
So was the boy's head.  
  
Sighing, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. Oh man this was going to be one long fight. One-sided fight, that is. The boy was only cowering in fear and hatred. No hitting from his side.  
  
And as long as the kid refused to cry, the fight would go on. Big Pig loved to see little kids cry. I gave him the biggest thrill of all.  
  
The other guys were cheering Big Pig on. What a bunch of losers.  
  
Losers to me. Big, powerful bullies to the rest of the school, except for the In Crowd.  
  
Bullies. That was whom I had to spend my miserable company with. Great.  
  
Actually, everyone else called Big Pig, Big Pug. Only I called him Big Pig. He was a pig, after all. Fat and all disgusting. Yet there were tons of girls that would go out with him. Maybe his stupidity was rubbing off on them.  
  
I doubted he knew what pug means. Or he wouldn't have chosen the name.  
  
"So that's how you guys get your kicks? Beating up small kids?"  
  
I recognized that voice. Hated it to the core.  
  
"Why don't you stick your big fat nose else where?" Big Pig retorted.  
  
I didn't know why I stepped in. Just that maybe I was trying to show Big Pig what real fighting was like. Fighting like a man.  
  
Not like a... well, pig.  
  
"Well, well, well, there's Captain Noble to the rescue again. Cool being superman huh? Maybe the kids would even ask you for their autograph." I drawled.  
  
"Shut up. No one's asking for your opinion, Toby Boy." He narrowed his eyes.  
  
We stood staring at each other for a few minutes before he looked away. Admitting defeat in order to save the kid. How noble. Not.  
  
As he led the sobbing kid away, and Big Pig and his gang moved on to find another victim, he looked back at me. And I glared back at him.  
  
That was how things were between the both of us. Pure hatred, every time we met.  
  
That was just the normal way of life for Jake Forrester and Tobias Daler.  
  
Now, to more important stuff.  
  
I had an In Crowd party to dress up for.  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
~CASSIE~  
  
"I've got to try this on. Just got to! It's the best around!" She murmured.  
  
Sighing, I followed her to the changing room again.  
  
When she came out 5 minutes later, she looked just like before. Just as gorgeous as before. Twirling in her new spaghetti-strap dress, Francisca gave a delighted smile and grabbed her wallet.  
  
"Hold this for me while I pay for this dress! It's absolutely marrrvelous!" She laughed, dragging the 'r' for emphasis.  
  
I sighed again. Francisca was going to the In Crowd's party, and she wanted to look perfect. To impress Tobias, OF COURSE.  
  
Tobias was a bully, but a handsome one. Only I never made an effort to dress up cause I was FAT. Or like Francisca put it politely, stocky and chubby. Beautiful People like Tobias would never be interested in 'stocky and chubby' people like me.  
  
He'd be interested in people like Francisca. Or Laura. Or Jessie from the popular scene. Never me. Nope, only Gerard would be. Cause Gerard was 'stocky and chubby' too.  
  
Still, there was the saying opposites attract...  
  
Picking up a flowery dress, I smiled to myself.  
  
Looks like I would be showing up for the party after all. Whether Laura and the In Crowd liked it or not.  
  
I'd make Tobias like me. More than like me... Love me maybe...  
  
Call it wishful thinking on my part if you like but...  
  
Hey, opposites attract.  
  
You just never know.  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
~MARCO~  
  
"Hey, Marco, wanna hang out at my place after school? Then we can go to the In Crowd's party after this..."  
  
I hesitated.  
  
What are you hesitating for, you idiot! Just say yes and you'll never have to see them for the rest of today!  
  
Just say yes.  
  
Just say yes.  
  
Just say yes!  
  
JUST SAY YES!!!  
  
"Nah, I can't go to either. I've got five little brothers to look after, and a gardening job to do for my neighbour."  
  
Raymondo shook his head disbelievingly. "You'd sacrifice your one chance at popularity to go baby-sit your brothers? I don't know if you're too kind or too crazy... So, see ya tomorrow, then. Try to make it tonight, though, will ya? I don't want to be the odd one out among the popular ones, sticking out like a sore thumb... it'll be embarrassing, you get me?"  
  
I laughed. Raymondo was a great friend. I got him all right. He wanted me to go and enjoy myself, not stay cooped up at home like some poor hermit.  
  
Which I was, because of THEM!  
  
Them being my mom and my FIVE brothers. Yeah, you heard me, FIVE!  
  
My dad had left home when I was five. Leaving me with five brothers and one heart-broken mother.  
  
Actually, I don't see what she was so sad about, seeing as she was the one who divorced him. After she found out that he had been seeing FIVE separate women since he had married her.  
  
Good riddance if you ask me.  
  
All he did was go out make money, spend that money on drinks and come home drunk. Then he would abuse her and us, and use mom for sex. Ick.  
  
Mom didn't see it that way, so instead of focusing on us, she focused on herself and my dad.  
  
You know what she did?  
  
She made money, spent it on drinks, came home drunk, and abused us. Hit us so hard, there was still that stupid scar above my left eye on my forehead. Doesn't hurt now though.  
  
But that wasn't all she did.  
  
Guess, come on, guess!  
  
Guess!  
  
She committed suicide of course. Killed herself with a kitchen knife.  
  
I daren't use that knife now. It's got her bloodstains on them. Ick again.  
  
And she was damn stupid. Couldn't she have thought of a less messy way to end her miserable life? Like jump down from the twenty-storey apartment we had now?  
  
Only at that time we only had one miserable trailer. So she wouldn't even have injured herself. Only minor scrapes. The trailer's our playhouse now.  
  
And so is the land it's on.  
  
So, do you think we lucky 'uns got adopted by some rich guy who adopted all five, no SIX of us?  
  
No way.  
  
You see, stupid as mom was, she died at a very convenient time.  
  
Big brother Stanley just turned twenty-one the week before she died.  
  
And our Uncle Henry doted on him. He was just like father. So Stan went and inherited his money. He was to inherit his money when he turned twenty-one, only we got the news one week late, by airmail.  
  
Maybe mom wouldn't have killed herself if she waited one more week. Joke. Ha ha.  
  
Anyway, now that Stan has that 3 million, we're rich. Luckily Stan likes us, or we would've been sent to an adoption agency.  
  
But my brothers are pests, so it's ok. Not too bad actually.  
  
Enough moping about my past! Now, to subject myself to the Little Monsters.  
  
Once I watched this movie on TV, and it was about this swamp monster. My brothers fit the part perfectly.  
  
The door was just in front of me now...  
  
Now, to subject myself to the Five Horrors of the Woodyoung Family...  
  
Heh heh, just inset one dramatic scream and viola!  
  
The Perfect Horror Movie!  
  
From inside, a crash and tinkle of breaking glass and someone crying...  
  
Uh oh, someone was going to get it.  
  
Big time.  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
Haha! Hope you like that! Just that you can see, it's the same names with completely different personalities... They're looks are different too. But they're still the Animorphs in the future, just that they haven't met yet. Heh heh. You'll see!  
  
Shaedowe: Don't forget to review, and check out my other stories too! Haha, see ya next time, folks... (Sounds corny, doesn't it...)  
  
Myishi: T_T0 


	2. Fitting In

Wee! Haha! I've got two reviews on my first day! I'm so happy! So, to honour and thank them, I'm continuing with my story fast!  
  
Thanks to the following reviewers:  
  
To: Korean Pearl  
  
Thanks you for review... for reviewing so fast, I mean! *gives Tobias figure*  
  
To: kaz456  
  
Thank you too! *gives Jake figure*  
  
To: Darkness-fire  
  
Thank you for reviewing ALL my stories. *gives smiley faced guy's (prince of tennis) figure* (Hehe, sorry, I forgot what his name was... tell me again?)  
  
Ok, hope all of you like the thank you gifts!  
  
On with the story!  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
~RACHEL~  
  
"Rachel, are you home FINALLY?" her shrill voice rang out throughout the house.  
  
Empty echoes.  
  
I ignored her.  
  
Slamming the old oak door, I slouched up five fancy flights of stairs to my room.  
  
A dusty room, full of familiar smells. The smell of turpentine, paint and old stuff.  
  
Comforting.  
  
The attic.  
  
I'd moved here recently, about a month ago. Here being this fancy six- storey mansion.  
  
I'd hated it before I even set my disapproving eyes on it. And 'disapproving' was putting it nicely.  
  
I had a million other word to scold it. 'Stupid' and 'disgusting' among others.  
  
The words 'Rachel' and 'fancy' didn't go together. They didn't make sense. Verb disagreement.  
  
Which made my life increasingly difficult as here, everything was fancy. The school, Blakenfield High, was a fancy high-class school with stupid, simpering stuck up people. The mansion was huge and fancy, with stupid, simpering stuck up servants, and might I add mindless. The neighbourhood was fancy and high-class with stupid, simpering stuck up neighbours.  
  
I was surrounded by stupid simpering people.  
  
Great.  
  
"Rachel?" Her again. "Rachel, are you PURPOSELY ignoring me?"  
  
"Bingo." I muttered.  
  
She pounded on the door. "Rachel, I need to speak to you. Rachel- is the door stuck? Don't worry, I'll call your daddykins." The dialing of her handphone.  
  
"Herald, the door to Rachel's room is stuck, can you- oh... Oh, all right, I'll ask her... bye, have a nice day, darling... Muah!"  
  
I shut my eyes to shut the disgusting kissing sounds made on the phone. How someone can kiss in real live is beyond me. Let alone how to kiss properly on the phone.  
  
"Rachel, your door isn't stuck, is it?"  
  
Bingo.  
  
"Rachel, is your door locked?"  
  
Bingo again.  
  
"Rachel, are you purposely shutting me out?"  
  
Bingo. How smart of her.  
  
"Rachel, how can you do that? I'm your mother."  
  
So she wasn't that smart after all.  
  
"No, you're not my mother. You don't look like her, smell like her or behave like her. You're an imposter." I whispered, pummeling my pillow. How I wish that were my father's face.  
  
No, how I wish that were HER face. That way I could disfigure it totally. Maybe that'd make father leave her.  
  
Haha. Joke. He'd never leave her. He's so obviously smitten by her... ugh...  
  
She was pounding on the door now. I don't know how long it'll last.  
  
I pity the door.  
  
Sighing, I pulled the latch and as she gave one final push, the door swung open and she stumbled in. Nearly hitting her head on the shelf.  
  
I wish.  
  
"Ah, Rachel. Won't you give your mother a hug?" Batting her eye lashes at me.  
  
I would if she were alive you witch. I glared at her darkly.  
  
She seemed to be waiting for me to do something, so I did.  
  
"No."  
  
Disappointed, she sat down on my bed. I stood up. No way was I going to sit on the same space as her. No way. Perish the thought.  
  
"Well, anyway, I heard from Katie's mother that there was to be a party at Laura's house tonight, right?"  
  
"So what?" I retorted.  
  
"And you're invited..." She prompted.  
  
I stared blankly back at her.  
  
"Well, I want you to go there and have fun! Go on relax! Don't you feel lonely here?"  
  
I almost choked. That was if I had anything to choke on.  
  
"So, are you going?" She tilted her head.  
  
No thanks. I felt perfectly fine here. Perfectly. You see, here there were no annoying cheerleaders and jocks. No stupid, simpering stuck up people. Nobody at all.  
  
That was my idea of paradise.  
  
That was what I wanted to shout. To yell at the woman who claimed to be my mother.  
  
No, she wasn't my mother. So why did I have to listen to her, to respect her even?  
  
But... an image floated up to my mind.  
  
The conversation I had with my REAL mother...  
  
"Listen to your father, don't make him worry... And respect your father's wishes... If there's someone to replace me... if your father should decide to remarry, then respect her, as well. You'll be respecting me that way too... it'll be the best birthday present in my whole life... Promise me that, ok?"  
  
"Ok." I whispered.  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
~JAKE~  
  
I could relate to this girl, really. This Rachel really did have a point.  
  
I could definitely see why she thought of my little sister Sasha as annoying.  
  
Cause she was, really. Don't know why I didn't see it earlier.  
  
Actually I probably did, but forgot. I probably have short-term memory loss. I don't know. I forgot.  
  
"Sasha!" I was bellowing like a bull now. Had been for about twenty minutes. "I swear, if you take one minute more, not only will you be late, you'll be dead as well! I'll kill you if you're not down in approximately three minutes!"  
  
"Don't fret, Bro. I'll be down soon, like, now. Tada!" Sasha had finally finished with her business of powdering and making herself pretty. And her friend Janice as well.  
  
Janice peered shyly from behind Sasha. She too was twirling and swishing her long skirt. It swept the carpet on the floor. It was THAT short. "Well?"  
  
I grew more irritated. "Well what?"  
  
"Well, how do we look?" Sasha rolled her big blue eyes upward to her black, eyeliner-coated eyelids. She shot a cryptic look to Janice that seemed to say 'boys are sooo clueless.' Janice shot her a cryptic look that seemed to say 'your brother is sooo cute.'  
  
The look back to Janice PLAINLY said 'you're nuts.'  
  
"You look ok, just try not to trip, ok? I won't help you if you girls do trip."  
  
Actually, what I wanted to say was "Who do you think you are, Cinderella? Nobody wore such long skirts anymore! It's mini-skirts. Boys like mini- skirts. Extra mini-shirts. M-I-N-I-S-K-I-R-T-S!"  
  
"Can you girls really hurry, or Rachel might just decide not to go after all."  
  
Oh yeah, Sasha's Rachel friend had called earlier, saying that she'd changed her mind. She was going after all.  
  
Sasha had been excited. She totally TOTALLY looked up to this Rachel girl, I knew that.  
  
Rachel had not. I knew that too. Cause I'd eavesdropped on the other phone.  
  
I was right to give that warning about not tripping. Janice did trip. But I did help her. She got into the car blushing furiously. The things puppy love can make you do.  
  
Scary.  
  
I'll never be in love. Never. Perish the thought.  
  
Sasha tuned the radio to their favourite Japanese station.  
  
And we were off.  
  
Rachel's house was huge. A mansion, totally bigger than ours... But of course, no wonder she was invited. The rich look after the rich, after all.  
  
And she wasn't dressed up. Weird. But she got in beside me in the seat beside the driver's and turned the other way, so I didn't see her face.  
  
Except her eyes. I only caught a glimpse of them looking at me just before she climbed in.  
  
I'll never forget those eyes for as long as I live. Beautiful, green eyes. They seemed to be swimming with colour, though, not just green...  
  
Am I making sense?  
  
Whatever.  
  
The only thing she said was hi.  
  
Just hi. That's it.  
  
Which is weird too, cause girls like to flirt with me, cause I'm one of the cutest jocks in school.  
  
Heh heh.  
  
But whatever.  
  
The house was coming into my line of vision now.  
  
Laura would be there, with her elastic lips...hmm...  
  
That drove all thought of the mysterious Rachel out of my head.  
  
Wonderful Laura.  
  
But I wasn't in love. Would never be in my whole life.  
  
Never.  
  
Perish the thought again.  
  
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***  
  
Hiya!  
  
Hope you liked it, I'm focusing more on character by character now. So you get more from each person... next chapter will be hmm... let me see, oh yes...haha!  
  
I shan't tell you! _  
  
Just tune in to find out!  
  
Woo hoo!  
  
See you there!  
  
( I'm crazy, I know.) 


	3. Negative Feelings

Shaedowe:_ cough_ I have a _cough_…

Myishi: You have a cough. I can see that.

Shaedowe: _cough_ glowering You _cough_ can? Then that's _cough_ good. I don't want to _cough_ talk when I'm _cough_ coughing…

Myishi: Don't then.

Alexandra Anastasia: coming into room hi, how's the story-

Shaedowe: _a fit of coughing_

Alexandra Anastasia: What's wrong with Shaedowe?

Myishi: She's sick. Severe cough. She doesn't want to talk.

Alexandra Anastasia: Oh.

Myishi: _turning to Shaedowe_ I told you, you shouldn't have drunk all those cold drinks at their party. Or drink any cold, fizzy drinks at all, for that matter… _go on ranting about Shaedowe's cough_

_After 37.54 minutes of non-stop ranting_…

Shaedowe: Shut up already!!!!! Yells and shoves them out of room

Alexandra Anastasia: _looks down at the fallen WG, Myishi_ I thought you said she didn't want to talk.

Myishi: _opens mouth, but no sounds come out_

Alexandra Anastasia: Oh, _goody_, now you've got a sore throat, lost your voice too… Well, you only have yourself to blame… bye. Haha!

Myishi: _gasping and wildly making gestures_

Alexandra Anastasia: Anyway, I'm going to read her story. And you know something, you're _very _lame Myishi.

Myishi: _hangs on to her ankle as AA walks off…wildly making gestures while being pulled along gasping and breathing hard_

Shaedowe: Serves him right… now, my coughs recovered… must have been that shouting… makes mental note: shout at Myishi more often to improve health

Shaedowe: Anyway, enough fooling around, it's story time! Yay!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Before I yell at Myishi _again_ (_**don't **_pity him, he _deserves_ it. **_Totally_**.)

Thanks to:

**Anonymous-cat**: Thanks for your review! And yeah, I'll try to clear it up later… there will be the part when everything is explained and revealed, but you've got to keep checking back and reviewing! Thanks! _gives Jake figure_

**Korean Pearl**: Thanks for reviewing twice… it's not displayed there but I got two in my review alerts… I was really happy… you see, I seldom get reviews even though I have 3 stories… next time more… me being the amateur I am… sigh… Thanks again! _gives… uh… Tobias figure_

**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

**_CASSIE_**

I answered the_ insistent_ ringing of the doorbell and _nearly_ fell over and out of the house onto the porch from _shock_. Francisca had _completely transformed_, like the **beast transformed to the handsome prince.**

Not that she _was _a _beast_. No, _never_. Francisca was more like _Beauty_.

Just that tonight, in the purple, spagetti-strapped evening dress that she'd picked from the store this afternoon, she looked _better_ than Beauty.

No, she looked… looked…

**_Perfect_**.

"Can you _stop_ gaping like I'm Miss America and _please_ open the door wider and _don't_ block the doorway so I can go in _please_, and I _mean_ it!" She sounded irritated.

Ah well, she wasn't _completely_ transformed then.

"What? Oh, let you in? Oh, yeah, yeah, sorry…" I muttered. The floor had never seemed _so _interesting before.

Francisca must have seen noticed the look on my face, _whatever_ emotion it revealed.

But I know it made **her feel** **bad**. And that somehow made **me feel** **better**.

"Sorry, I guess I _was_ kinda _harsh_… just in a bad mood today…" She gave a **loud **sigh and sat on the pink futon couch in the family room.

Funny, I'd never noticed its colour until this _exact_ moment. Pink, _eww_… what a disgusting colour…

She glanced at me expectantly and I realised she wanted me to ask _**why**_ she was in such a **bad mood.**

"Uh, why are you in a bad mood?" I asked, sounding exactly like a **stupid, sick, simpering, mindless little drone**.

No, I **_hadn't_** made her feel bad at all just now. It was just an **excuse for her to mope and groan** to me about her mood and all her problems.

Knowing her, they were _bound_ to be boring.

But I'd just moved her **5 months ago**, and known her **2 months later**. So that's… **3 months**. Sorry Maths _isn't_ my favourite subject. At all.

So, considering, I'd only known her for about _that_ long.

And _that_ wasn't very long at all.

So I didn't really know her that well.

Funny that it took so long for me to finally arrive at this simple conclusion. Weird. Not that I'm usually a _fast_ thinker but, well, usually I take a _shorter_ time to come up with such… conclusions.

"So anyway, that was the _absolute last dress_. And _you know what_ she _said_? You know _what_ she said?" Francisca's voice was suddenly amplified a thousand times.

"No." I responded, like the **mindless little drone I was**. Nice. "Tell me."

My voice was **emotionless**. **E-mo-tion-less**. Nice, I'd always wanted a **cool emotionless voice** like that of… that **new foreign exchange student**, that **new very, very, very pretty, very, very, very, cool girl**. _What _was her name?

**Ra-che-el**.

Ah, yes, there it was, _Rachel_. That was **one cool name**.

And my name? _Cassie_.

What a_ **lame name**_.

Oh, haha, what a **lame joke** too.

_Cassie_? It wasn't even a **real name**. Nothing like _Rachel_. Nothing even close to _Laura_, not even _Cassandra_.

No, it had to be **plain, simple, spotty, ugly, fat**, _**CASSIE**_.

"Are _**we**_ ready to go to Laura's party, _Cassie_?"

Francisca again.

And she was using the much hated royal '_we_'.

And like the **mindless little drone that I was**, I replied, "Yes, Francisca."

**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

_**MARCO**_

You know, sometimes **life can be just _so_ unfair**.

Look at it this way, **I'm the multi-millionaire**. But **I'm the one with _five brothers_**.

I'm the **multi-millionaire** and I **don't get to go to the party**. The _first_ In Crowd party that I'm invited to. And it **just so happens that that's my one and only shot at popularity**. Those that weren't invited or didn't go, _don't even get remembered_.

Don't mention being _famous and popular_, you **won't even be _notorious_**. You'll _**not even exist**_. In _their_ eyes of course.

But _you know what_? For a small, no, _medium-sized_ group of **pretty girls and pretty boys**, their eyes are _very, very_ important. They're the _**fashion and the status police**_. They have a **_very_ important job**.

Of course, _I'm_ very important too.

_I'm_ the **sarcastic one**, **the clown, the maker of cute, funny and lame comments**. I can make all sorts of _nonsensical comments_. And _**free of charge**_ too. Just you have to _humor_ me and make me in the _correct_ mood.

It all _depends_ on my _mood_ you _see_.

Like, right now, I'm feeling _totally melancholy_. So my comments are **very, very funny and witty.**

In _my_ own, opinion of course. Not that anyone would care about a **skinny, muscle-less, gangly, pig-head, shufugrelertuf and unpopular geek's** opinion.

Those were _all my brothers'_ opinions on me.

'Skinny' was made by _Jarret_, who is in **junior high** and you know what? He's one of the _nicest _of my brothers.

'Muscle-less' is very lame. Made, of course by my **gym/exercise-crazed maniac** of a brother. And in his_ poor_ opinion, he is 'muscle-full'. In my opinion, he should really get a dictionary. But first he must know how to read it of course. He's in **junior high** too. And, oh, I forgot, he's name's _Jacob_.

Know what again? He's one of the _nice_ ones too. Nice, but dumb.

'Gangly' is made by the** Garrett family's personal, free of charge, 24-hour, walking dictionary**. His name? _Jabec_. He goes to this school for the _gifted_, **Penury** or something like that, I think. And his report from school goes like this: **_Jabec is a very talented boy, in many areas, inclusive of music, science, technology and almost all areas of his studies. However, his social skills are not up to standard and he should read more widely so as to improve himself on this important aspect. Overall, Jabec is a quiet well-behaved boy who, among other commendable qualities, does his work consistently and pays careful attention in class. We regret to say this but he doesn't have many friends. We hope that this report can help his family and us, his school forge a closer relationship to become a close-knitted family._**

_Big deal_. Who needs _friends_ with a house **full of annoying brothers**?

I think he's the most tactful one of all. And 'his social skills are not up to standard'. Nice going, Mrs Garfield or whoever you are. I don't care. This report will really helping in 'helping his family and us, his school forge a closer relationship to become a close-knitted family'.

Nice going.

But I'm straying from the topic.

'Pig-headed' was from the _not so nice_ one. The **accident prone** one. The one who had just **broken the broken china vase** on the marble floor. He's _Jeffrey_.

Did you know, marble gets scratches _very easily_? And china _breaks easily_ too?

'Shufugrelertuf' is from the one who can _barely talk_. But you know, he played the _biggest_ part in the _breaking_ of the vase? How _wondrous _is that? I have a _wonder_ brother who _can't talk_ but is _better at breaking vases_ than _anybody_ in this family. Cool, huh? He's known as _Jeane_.A _girl's_ name if you ask me.

And don't ask me, cause I don't know what it means.

And unpopular geek… well, that's just _me _but, well, yeah, I am _pretty_ unpopular.

Oh, I'm_ ranting_ again. Can't help it.

I have _a lot_ to rant about.

But then, there's the door to answer.

It's been ringing for, oh, let's see…_ ten minutes_? Or_ more._

But I know for sure that that's **Stanley** and his **receptionist girlfriend**.

Julie or Judy or Juliana. Or _somebody_ like that.

I don't know why, but my feet are on autopilot now, walking towards the door.

"Hi, Stanley. Hi, Ju." I greeted him and her.Politely.

Stanley looked irritatedly at me and stalked right past me.Like I was invisible.

**Invisible me.**

He seemed in a _good mood_ today. At least he wasn't **throwing things and shouting at my brothers and me to do homework or housework, chores or some kind of work**.

If there's a type of work not yet invented or something, _Stan'll _be the one to invent or discover _it._

Whatever _it_ is.

"Marco, Jacqueline and I have decided to… uh… _baby-sit_ the boys tonight."

I would have made a smart comment. I would have said something about him using this opportunity to get **'up close and personal' with Jariene**. Or whoever she was.

I would have had not there been something else _much more_ important on my mind than the two stupid lovebirds.

Can't you guess?

My _one shot_ at popularity. At pretty girls like **Laura and Katie**. At being invited to _more _In Crowd parties in the future.

_Still_ can't guess?

**Laura's party**.

I watched him, ready to **spring from my seat and** **strangle him on the spot if he didn't say what I wanted him to say.**

He _must_ have read my mind.

"You're free to go out and do whatever you want. And take the car too, if you want."

**Perfect**.

Looks like he _would_ survive the night after all.

**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

**_TOBIAS_**

I swear, even the **_tallest _Victorian houses were** **shaking and quivering in tune to the music on the radio.**

What station? The _rock-and-roll station_.

Ugh, who listens to _that_ in the **_twenty-second century_**?

Think how _I_, the **hot, totally cute, misunderstood, unapprciated genius** must be feeling now, huddled in the **open-topped convertible**. The reason it could fit about _one quarter_ of Big Pug, aka Big Pig's gang was because of _Chico_. _Chico_ was Big Pig's elder brother. He was also a _car mechanic._

Only now I wished he _wasn't_.

Then there wouldn't be _so many_ people in the car at once. Particularly when all of them were practically **as fat and as stupid as Big Pig himself**. Not a _pleasant_ thought, even on the _best of nights._

And tonight had started out _like that_, only _now_ I wasn't so sure…

I **suppressed a groan** as Big Pig turned the volume up.

**They really should have a rule saying that pigs weren't allowed to drive**.

But then if they had, Big Pig's brain was _**so miniscule**_ that he probably **_wouldn't know_ he was a pig** in the first place, so that would be _no use_ whatsoever.

**They _really shouldn't_ allow pigs like Big Pig to be born into this world in the first place**.

As the guys next to me **squirmed to get comfortable**, I was _thankful_ that I had got the window seat. At least I wasn't **squashed between two fat pig-like minions of BP**.

BP means Big Pig, by the way. It's so much shorter, and _less hazardous_ should he find out about that nickname.

Then the _hideous shrieking _of what suspiciously sounded like a **_banshee _on a bad hair** **day **was suddenly mixed with a _**soothing, hip-hop Japanese song**_.

There was _nothing_ soothing about hip-hop, of course, but after the car _rock-and-roll_ radio station, this was _paradise_ to my ears.

_**Paradise**_.

Complete with **brainlessly bimbo-ic cheerleaders and jocks with too much muscle desperately showing off.**

Come to think of it, the two combined together sounded suspiciously like BP… maybe his mother and father were…

"_Screech_!"

The sudden sound of tyres interrupted my very likely story of BP's family history.

_**Damned car**_.

License plate **OCRAMSTAN**.

Weird. And lame. _Ocramstan_? _What on earth_ was that?

It was a _red_ car. _Blood-red..._

Driving into the driveway of Laura's**_ four-storey Victorian mansion_**.

_Sickening rich_ _kids_.

I was _never_ rich, just a _**bully**_.

That was how I was **popular** and of course my _almost impossible to achieve good looks_.

Haha. That's so funny _no one's_ laughing.

"**We're here**!"

Big Pig's **_disgustingly gravelly_** voice shouted, nearly making me _deaf._

_One_ of these days, _Big Pig_, _one_ of these _days_, _**you'll pay**_.

"_**We're here**_!"

He repeated, _obviously_ _so in love_ with his '_melodious_' voice.

Oh joy!

We're finally here.

Somehow, I _can't_ seem to bring myself to be _happy_.

How _wonderful_.

_**Oh, joy**_.

**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Shaedowe: Well, that's all for now, see I've got the case of the _**mental blocks**_… **_sigh, sigh, sigh_**!

Myishi: _**speaking in sign language**_ If you have _any ideas_, **please _email them to me, you know my email address._**

Shaedowe: **That's** _my email address _you WG! You are _**so lame**_! You are _**so irritating**_! Haha! You've _**lost your voice**_, so you _can't scold me_!

_**HAHA! BYE BYE!**_


	4. Surprise

RACHEL

You know when someone tells you, it's going to be ok, you should _never _believe them. And do you know why?

You see, that's what my mother told me when I went to visit her in the hospital a few days before her death.

Also, that's what my dad said, before he became 'father'. Before mom died and he married that totally false model, who

claims to be my mother, and whose face is a _hundred percent plastic_.

And that's what my friends said. Marjorie, my best friend, told me that my mom would be fine. She'd recover and we'd be

a happy family together again. Yeah, like _that_ was going to happen.

That's what my relatives told me, the countless uncles and aunts and cousins all grown up and my age. Those younger

ones probably didn't even know who she was, and those that came just came to gap at the pale, sick woman on her deathbed,

suffering from typhoid cancer.

And you know what came out of all those, "trust me, it's going to be fine." s. "don't worry, she'll be okay." s and all that _crap_?

Nothing. A big fat nothing. Nil, zero, Nunda, **NOTHING**.

She passed away immediately after I talked to her. Well, not immediately, but a few hours after…

So now, _you_ trust _me_. Don't ever trust _them_; you'll only end up all sad and depressed. Like my sisters after her death.

They went overseas to study, by the way.

I guess that's their way of coping with insecurities. That's right, escape into Australia and who-knows-where and

leave all the tough stuff to little sister Rachel. Which is what they did.

But, no, I wasn't all sad and depressed. You know, I've kept everything inside of me for so long, I think

I don't know how to let it out.

Why should I want to anyway…? Not that there's anyone to talk to now. Everyone's gone, for good.

But I'm getting sidetracked…

The point is, Sasha (you know that annoying little girl) told me the party was going to be fine, and you know what?

I _didn't_ believe her, but I went anyway.

I was right not to believe her… Only too late, I came, and I can't go back out again. Not by the front door anyway…

Sigh, sigh, sigh…

I lost Sasha, by the way. She disappeared right after the bullies came. Or, I should say, _I _disappeared.

And thank god… the whole room is filled with some much testerone that I'm suffocating in it all. And thank god for big farms…

I, thanks to my _ingeniousity_, found a back door. And I have escaped.

I'm now in this really big, abandoned farm… and there's a huge abandoned grassland and there's something like an old, abandoned

barn, only a little bigger. And I've found out who it belongs to, at least I think I've found out.

There's this little carving in the wood in one of the stalls, probably meant for horses or something.

**Animorphs**.

Yes, it says 'Animorphs' in capital letters down there. Carved crudely, not an experts work, but still…

It's like a _child's _carving, really…

And there are a few more carvings, but I can't tell what they say… they're more worn out than the capital letters at the top…

Animorphs… I wonder, it sounds so _familiar_…

Animorphs. I wonder.

**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

TOBIAS

Groaning silently, I pushed myself up from my seat with BP and the others and stretched.

_Fresh air_, I thought. _That's what I'm seriously in need of. Only I can't go and get some. I'm totally deprived._

I need some adventure. Something to do. Something to take my mind of the fact that I'm bored out of my mind… _sigh_…

There were _so many_ people here… it was so suffocating.

Then there was that buzzing noise, I'm not sure from where, and whatever it is, it's really getting on my nerves.

I need adventure. I need action. I need something, and I need it now.

**I just didn't expect that something to come crashing through the totally solid walls of Laura's house.**

**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Shaedowe: Well, that's that, for now. The next part is when all the adventure starts, so I'll post it soon. This is just to well, I hope, create more suspense.

Myishi: If you ask me, then she's just plain lazy.

Shaedowe: T.T0

Bye anyway.


End file.
